Archive for the ‘Companies’

Founder and CEO of the Citadel LLC., which includes investments and hedge funds, is Ken Griffin, but the word that best describes him is philanthropist. Mr. Ken Griffin has an entire portfolio of organizations and worthy causes that he supports, such as Chicago’s civic and cultural institutions. Charter Education and many other areas of education. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum, the University of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art. He is a Republican and is not afraid to donate to those politicians. The total of all his donations so far is approximately $500 million.

Kenneth Griffin is an Expert at Investments and Hedge Funds

Last year, Mr. Ken Griffin on wsj donated $150 million to his alma mater Harvard University, and to date, that is the largest donation ever made to that institution. So, you might ask, how does Mr. Griffith find time to lead and manage the international investment firm that he started over 20 years ago?

The answer is that he makes the time and he does it very well. Citadel claims a net worth of $6.6 billion this year and Ken takes a yearly salary of $130 million. His expert management and consultation in hedge funds and other investments has gained him an incredible reputation worldwide.

Childhood, College and the Citadel

Ken Griffith was born on October 15, 1968, and he grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, which is known as the World’s Most Famous Beach. This seems an unlikely place for a financial entrepreneur to grow up, but from the start he was dedicated to making money. He attended Harvard University and received a BA degree in Economics. While he was at the University, living in the dorms, he used his computer, TV satellite and fax machine to set up a small investment firm, so he could trade in his room.

This was a small venture, but that innovative concept led him to meet Frank C. Meyer, an investor and founder of Glenwood Capital LLC. Mr. Meyer was impressed by what he heard, and when Ken graduated in 1989, he invested $1 million into the beginnings of the Citadel, Kenneth’s dream company. The Citadel was founded in 1990, and with Ken Griffin’s Midas touch, it has prospered ever since.

The Citadel is Super Successful

With more than 1,350 members worldwide who work within the Citadel, Mr. Griffith has grabbed the coattails of his dream and is riding victoriously. These expert investment brokers are trading at the top of the market, and their advice follows right in line with the recommendations of Mr. Griffith.

Today, Mr. Griffith is #89 in Forbes list of the 400 richest people in America; he rose up from last year 11 places. Mr. Griffith has nowhere to go but higher and as the Citadel takes in more investors, Ken Griffith’s success continues. He is then able to donate more to his charities, politicians and other worthy funds.

There are sometimes in life when you’re surprised by the generosity of other people. I had one of those life experiences when I saw the actions that one particular individual displayed in an article I read onCitizen Shame. His name is Joseph Bismark. He has focused on progressing the world by focusing on individual strength in the form of personal health, spiritual well-being, and social responsibility for those that are less fortunate after the development of his successful business venture, QI Group.
Bismark’s focus on individual health was quite the surprise to me. I found that Bismark was individual for moving QI Group into the market of wellness and organic foods. The company acquired an organic and natural whole food company based out of Hawaii in an effort to expand and provide individuals, particularly those in Hawaii, with more opportunity to eat healthy by purchasing organic and wholesome foods.
I believe that spiritually Bismark is an exemplary individual as well. An individual that lives his life in a simple fashion, has excelled in his business practices and gives back to the community is a rare gem nowadays. But the amazing aspect of Bismark is that he expects to live life in that matter and anything less than that is unacceptable. I know that because it’s quite evident in his mantra “everyone has the potential to do extraordinary things.” He believes that all people can do extraordinary things for their community.
I think that’s the reason that Bismark is quite the philanthropist. I first discovered his philanthropic tendencies when I started researching his foundation, RYTHM Foundation, which was developed along with the co-founder of QI Group. The RYTHM Foundation was established as a charitable trust and is dedicated to children with special needs, community, development, and general community well-being. I noticed his most notable contribution to the foundation, other than his company being socially responsible for it, was the amount of time that he individually contributes to the overseeing of the foundation’s operations.
I’m just glad that individuals like Joseph Bismarck walk this earth. It’s what makes us better as individuals and a whole.

Implementing the skill of their talented professional team, BRL Trust specializes in 5 critical areas of investment. With business areas that focus on Fiduciary Services, Fund Management, Funds Custody, Resource Management, and Account Underwriting, their expertise in these areas have become benchmarks in the financial marketplace, providing safety and trust that clients have come to rely on.

With Trustee Services, the company implements the SCA (Asset Control System), aiding in monitoring, tracking, control and collection of loans. BRL Trust acts as Collateral Agent, Administrative Agent, and Trustee Agent for clients.

In Intervening Trust, BRL Trust provides fiduciary services to private debt securities, leading the market. The company acts as broker and agent on promissory notes, regulating and monitoring activity of the user, with reports providing updates to the creditors. BRL Trust also act as registration, escrow, and paying agent of CCI.

As the Administrative Agent, BRL Trust covers a broad range of resource management, including assistance in projects involving finance and syndicated loans. They will monitor guarantees and see to renegotiated debt settlement.

As the Trustee Agent, the company looks out for investors interests, and provides protection in the areas of debenture issues and CRI’s. They will monitor all aspects of managing financial instruments for the client, with regular checks, maintenance, and monitoring of collateral.

The company specializes in asset underwriting, and they act as a Fund Manager, with structured transactions dealt with in an innovative and professional manner.